Drain filtering device

ABSTRACT

A drain filtering device is disclosed. The improvement over the prior art .[.is comprised of.]. .Iadd.includes .Iaddend.reducing the filter size from an elongated device that spans the length of .[.the gutter.]. .Iadd.drain .Iaddend.system to a modular unit which is necessary only at the drain .[.sight.]. .Iadd.outlet.Iaddend.. The .[.invention also includes.]. .Iadd.filtering device has .Iaddend.an inclined upper face which is positioned on the upstream side of the .[.drain in the gutter and a downspout.]. .Iadd.channel of the drain and an .Iaddend.attachment which locates the .[.invention.]. .Iadd.filtering device .Iaddend.in the .[.gutter.]. .Iadd.channel .Iaddend.such that the flow of filtered water passes through the .[.invention.]. .Iadd.device .Iaddend.and into the .[.downspout.]. .Iadd.outlet.Iaddend.. The debris that collects in the .[.gutter.]. .Iadd.channel .Iaddend.is carried along the with the water until it makes contact with the inclined upper face and is forced up the incline until the overflow debris flows over the side of the .[.gutter.]. .Iadd.channel .Iaddend.thereby cleaning .Iadd.the .Iaddend.same and preventing the .[.downspout.]. .Iadd.outlet .Iaddend.from becoming clogged.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention disclosed herein relates to a device for filtering opendrains and thereby preventing them from being clogged. More particularlythis invention relates to a device for filtering drains, the drainsincluding .[.of.]. at least one .Iadd.channel or passageway, such as a.Iaddend.gutter .Iadd.or ditch, .Iaddend.with side walls and an open topside and at least one .[.drain hole positioned therein.]. .Iadd.outletin communication with the channel.Iaddend., the drain .[.comprising anelongated tube containing said hole and.]. allowing .[.said.]. water toflow .[.therethrough, such as the gutter and down spouts on buildings.]..Iadd.through the channel and into the outlet. Examples of drain systemswhere the invention is especially useful are the gutter and downspout ofa building, a ditch leading to a culvert under a roadway, or thelike.Iaddend..

2. Overview of Prior Art

Since the invention of the rain gutter and .[.having them.]. .Iadd.itsuse .Iaddend.on a building with trees nearby.Iadd., .Iaddend.the problemof clogging the down spouts with leaves and other debris has plaguedhomeowners and building managers alike. Tree leaves, small branches andother debris fall from trees, particularly as a result of high winds andrain. When this happens, the roofs of the buildings accumulate thedebris.Iadd., .Iaddend.and in the event of rain or melting snow.Iadd.,.Iaddend.the debris is washed into the gutters and finally carried withthe water to the down spouts. When this happens the down spoutstypically get clogged with the debris, damming up the spout .Iadd.and.Iaddend.forcing the water to fill up in the gutter until it flows overthe sides, voiding the function of the gutter.

Numerous devices have been developed in an attempt to meet the need forproviding a debris-free downspout. To date, only marginal success hasbeen reached. One group of devices incorporate laying a material overthe top of the gutter, such as is disclosed by Antenen in U.S. Pat. No..Badd.4,965,969. The material is porous so that the water can getthrough but the debris cannot get into the gutter. Variations in thisapproach are offered by Rees in U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,686; Knowles in U.S.Pat. No. 4,769,957; Wolf in U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,101; Davis in U.S. Pat.No. 4,745,710; Lassiter in U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,504 and Abramson in U.S.Pat. No. 3,741,398. The general improvements in the later patents, fromthe earlier disclosed, is a trend toward simplification. The overallshortcoming is that each of these devices must be custom-made to eachindividual dwelling. Never did any of these devices take into accountthe fact that the debris is not damaging in the gutter. The gutter isopen on the top to catch the flow off of the roof of the building. Ifexcessive debris gets into the gutter, it will simply fall out. It isthe downspout where the problem lies. This is an enclosed tube. If itgets full, it clogs and does not allow the runoff water to flow through.Preventing the debris from getting into the gutter is a complicated andunnecessarily expensive way to solve the problem.

Modifications to the afore mentioned methods have been made. The aforementioned disclosures utilize a substantially flat material whichaccepts the downward slope of the roof to keep the debris fromaccumulating on the structure. The problem being in a heavy rain aportion of the runoff water will not fall through the porous materialand run off the structure, oblivious to the gutter. Williams, Jr. inU.S. Pat. No. .Badd.5,095,666 and Dressier in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,581addressed this concern by making a separate variation in an upwardlycurved section of material beginning in the area of the side of thegutter which is closest to the building. This aligns the porouscomponents of the material with the direction of flow of the water,decreasing the overrun potential of the water. In a similar fashionManoogian, Jr. proposed a trough which extended into the gutter in U.S.Pat. No. 5,072,551. This enhanced the flow of the water into the gutter.[.in as.]. .Iadd.as in .Iaddend.the two latter mentioned disclosures.An obvious problem is where the section designed to catch the water willalso catch the debris. If the flat debris, such as leaves, coat thissection, the .[.water could.]. .Iadd.debris may .Iaddend.be .[.made.].impermeable to the .[.material and.]. .Iadd.water so that the water.Iaddend.again .[.defy.]. .Iadd.defies .Iaddend.the gutter all together.These .Iadd.devices .Iaddend.also must run the length of the gutter inorder to be effective, .[.therefore the oversight of the.]. .Iadd.sothat once again, .Iaddend.specific attention .Iadd.is not given.Iaddend.to the downspout .[.is also avoided.]. .Iadd.where the realproblem exists.Iaddend..

Attempts have been made to clean the gutter by .[.use.]. .Iadd.using.Iaddend.mechanical means. Johnson and Ruttenberg in U.S. Pat. Nos.4,745,709 and 4,253,281 respectively provide ways of cleaning thegutters without a ladder and rake. Johnson utilizes a flexible linerwhich can be inverted to dispel the debris out of the gutter. Theobvious disadvantage being, unless the liner is cleaned continuously,debris will flow into the downspout. Ruttenberg combined the ideas ofthe material permeable to water but not tree debris, spanning the widthof the gutter and made it movable, thereby providing a means forremotely removing the leaves. The maintenance of attending to the devicealong with the unnecessary expense makes it impractical. Ruttenberg alsodisclosed a method of moving the material utilizing wind power and a fanto eliminate the necessity of physically actuating the device.Iadd.,.Iaddend.but a mechanically rotating mechanism subjected toenvironmental conditions over prolonged periods of time make thefeasibility of the wind generating enough power to move long stretchesof material unlikely.

Beam in U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,837 and Elko et. al. in U.S. Pat. No.4,455,791 both disclose methods of having the gutter completely coveredby a rigid member and using the surface tension of the water to pull thewater without the accompanying debris into the gutter. This system onlyworks when the runoff water is at a minimum. During heavy downpours thedevice is of little value as a gutter system.

With all of the afore mentioned devices attachment to the roof of thedwelling is necessary. Beecheft et al. and Hunt address theseshortcomings in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,242,591 and 5,103,601 respectively. Thedevices are similar in that the material .[.is.]. proposed .[.of .]..Iadd.is .Iaddend.a mesh material which is formed into a geometric shapeand .[.fit.]. .Iadd.fits .Iaddend.longitudinally along the length of thegutter. In this, the debris that will accumulate is able to blow or runoff the top surface of the device and allow the water to fall therein.As before, this does not address the unnecessary complication andexpense of custom-made devices to cover the entire length of the guttersystems.

This problem was addressed by Williams in U.S. Pat. No. .Badd.4,472,274.Here Williams proposed a drain spout attachment that included a.[.grade.]. .Iadd.grate .Iaddend.on an incline sloping down to a opensection of the device. The water and debris was allowed to flow into thedown spout where it is separated by the .[.grading.]..Iadd.grating.Iaddend.. The debris would fall out of the opening and thewater would flow through the .[.grading.]. .Iadd.grating .Iaddend.andinto the down-spout. The problem with this is the lack ofretrofitability with existing gutter systems. Gutter systems would haveto be rebuilt or replaced to incorporate the device and the flowingdebris must still traverse a limited size opening to get into the devicefrom the gutter. What debris makes it that far must be carried out of anopening of very limited physical dimension, due to the size restrictionof the downspout. If the device clogs there, very little is saved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the disclosed invention is to provide a filtering.[.system.]. .Iadd.device .Iaddend.for any .[.gutter and.]. drain.[.combination.]. .Iadd.system including a channel leading to an outlet.Iaddend.in which the removal of excessive debris from the drain isdesirable .Iadd.to prevent clogging of the outlet.Iaddend.. .[.Such adevice would include.]. .Iadd.Such a filtering system is useful for.Iaddend.a rain gutter and downspout system on a residential orcommercial dwelling.Iadd., for a culvert or like drain system under aroadway, or like drain systems.Iaddend.. In .[.this case.]. .Iadd.suchcases .Iaddend.it is common for leaves and other debris to clog the.[.downspout.]. .Iadd.outlet .Iaddend.rendering the drainage systemunusable. The process of opening the drain can be very tediousespecially with long down spouts such as in a multilevel structure.Iadd.or with wet, tangled and heavy debris in a culvert.Iaddend..

The .Iadd.present filtering .Iaddend.device includes .Iadd.a.Iaddend.rigid structure that is pervious to water but not to leaf andother tree debris and the like. The device is receivable by .[.agutter.]. .Iadd.the channel of the drain system .Iaddend.and has anattachment to the .[.downspout or drain of the gutter.]. .Iadd.outlet ofthe system.Iaddend.. The device also has an inclined face .[.on the sideopposite to the downspout attachment.]. which angles from the floor ofthe .[.gutter up and back toward the downspout side. When water.]..Iadd.channel in the direction of the flow of water. Water.Iaddend.carries .[.the.]. debris down the .[.gutter.]. .Iadd.channel.Iaddend.toward the .[.downspout the combination comes.]. .Iadd.outletand .Iaddend.into contact with the .[.angled wall.]. .Iadd.inclinedface.Iaddend.. The water flows through and the debris accumulates, thedebris being pushed up the incline of the .[.wall.]. .Iadd.face.Iaddend.as more debris is added. When the debris becomes high enough,it flows over the side of the .[.gutter.]. .Iadd.channel.Iaddend.,cleaning .Iadd.the .Iaddend.same without clogging the .[.downspout.]..Iadd.outlet.Iaddend..

.[.The.]. .Iadd.As otherwise described and shown herein, the.Iaddend.disclosed invention may also be used for a variety ofsituations other than building gutters. .[.Any.]. .Iadd.For a gutterapplication, however, any .Iaddend.drain with an attached gutter withside walls can utilize the invention. Since the invention is received bythe gutter only in the area of the downspout, the device need not becustom made. Only variations in gutter width and potentially indownspout opening sizes are necessary. These are predominantly standardsizes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a drain filtering device produced inaccordance with preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectioned view of the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention showing front curve along the upper face, the sectionalong line A--A as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an alternative of the preferredembodiment of the present invention utilizing an elongated upper face.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of an alternative of the preferredembodiment of the present invention utilizing a slotted upper face.

FIG. 5 is a side sectioned view of the alternate of the preferredembodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 4 and sectionedalong the line B--B.

FIG. 6 is an exploded isometric view of a typical use of the preferredembodiment of the present invention as shown used in a gutter system ona building.

FIG. 7 is a side sectioned view of a use of the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention as shown in FIG. 6 and sectioned along the lineC--C, showing the movement of leaves and debris with the water up theupper face and out of the gutter.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a drainage or irrigation ditch .Iadd.andculvert .Iaddend.utilizing the filtering device as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, a device constructed in accordance with thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 1, and comprises a structure made ofa wire mesh 10. The invention also includes an upper face 12 which iscomprised of two parts, an inclined portion 14 and a flat portion 16.This structure is supported by a rear face 18 and two vertical.Iadd.side .Iaddend.faces 20. Though the structure is shown here to beof wire mesh construction the present invention could be manufactured ofa variety of materials .[.in which end itself to be.]. .Iadd.with theobjective being to provide a structure that is .Iaddend.durable andnon-corrosive in nature and possesses a permeability to water but not toleaves and similar debris.

With reference now to FIG. 2, the sectioned view of the invention asdepicted in FIG. 1 is shown. In this view a bottom face 22 is shown witha down spout attachment 24 which consists of a hollow extension fastenedto the bottom face 22 encapsulating a hole in the bottom face 22. If thebottom face is made of a water permeable material the presence of thehole in the bottom face 22 is not necessary.

The upper face 12 is also shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. Theinclined portion 14 is shown with a front curve. This curve projects outmore along the midline or section line of this view. The purpose of thecurve is to further assist the leaves and other debris from sticking tothe inclined portion 14.

The down spout attachment 24 is shown extending out of the bottom face22 and is capable of being received by the downspout in a typical guttersystem. This locates the invention in the gutter and directs thefiltered water into the downspout.

The invention can also be made in a five face unit, as best seen in FIG.3. In this case the upper face 26 has only an inclined portion thatconnects the bottom face 22 and the rear face 18. The rest of theattributes of the invention are similar to the six faced device as shownin FIG. 1 and disclosed herein.

FIG. 4 shows another alternative design of the invention. In this theupper face 28 is comprised of a series of slats 30 which then provide aplurality of openings on a upward slant of the incline portion 32. Inthis case the preferred embodiment of the invention would be constructedof a rigid material such as galvanized sheet metal or molded plastic.Additional slots 34 are positioned along the vertical faces 36 and theflat portion 38 of the upper face 28 to accommodate the passage of waterinto the cavity of the device and eventually out into the downspout. Inthis case the device is similar to those already mentioned.

A sectioned view of the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 4 andsectioned along the line B--B, is shown in FIG. 5. In this view the downspout attachment 40 is shown as a continuous member of the bottom face42. The slats 30 which comprise the inclined portion of the upper face28 is shown in more detail. It can be easily seen that water can easilypass between the slats 30 into the cavity of the device and out the downspout attachment 40.

FIG. 6 shows a typical application of the invention. In this case the.[.invention.]. .Iadd.filtering device .Iaddend.44 is positioned in thegutter 46 of a building 48 aligning the down spout attachment 50 withthe down spout opening 52. The .[.invention.]. .Iadd.filtering device.Iaddend.44 is positioned such that the upper face 54 is facing the openside 56 of the gutter.

The action of the .[.invention.]. .Iadd.filtering device .Iaddend.44 isshown in FIG. 7 as a section cut along the line C--C in FIG. 6. In thisthe leaves 58 and other debris are washed from the roof 60 into thegutter 46.Iadd., and .Iaddend.the water 62 in the gutter 46 carries thedebris 58 on its way to the downspout 64. When the debris 58 contact theupper face 54 of the .[.invention 44.]. .Iadd.filtering device,.Iaddend.the water is able to pass therethrough into the downspout 64but the debris 58 being physically .[.to.]. .Iadd.too .Iaddend.large tofit through.Iadd., .Iaddend.the material is pushed up the inclinedportion of the upper face 54. This continues until the height of thedebris 58 is greater than the height of the gutter 46 and overflowdebris 66 falls out of the gutter 46.

The invention has uses which include any open trench or canal with sidewalls and a drain .Iadd.or outlet.Iaddend.. FIG. 8 shows a typicalexample of an open ditch 68 in which the water must pass through anopening, such as a culvert 70 under a roadway 72. .[.In this, theinvention 74 is similarly placed into the water passageway 68 only inthis case, the spout attachment 76 situated in the rear face 78 of theinvention 74. This is.]. .Iadd.A filtering device 74 made in accordancewith principles described above is placed in the ditch 68 adjacent tothe entrance to the culvert 70, that is adjacent to the outlet from theditch. In this case, a spout attachment 76 projects from the rear face78 of the filtering device, .Iaddend.due to the commonly horizontal.[.arrangement of the culvert 70.]. .Iadd.alignment of the inlet orentrance to the culvert and the outlet from the ditch or channel of thedrain system.Iaddend.. .Iadd.Accordingly, the attachment is fitted intothe entrance to the culvert. .Iaddend.The debris 80 is picked up out ofthe flowing water 82 by virtue of being forced up the inclined portion84, in a manner as previously described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A .[.gutter.]. filter .Iadd.for a drain system inwhich water and debris including leaves move along a channel toward anoutlet, .Iaddend.comprising:A. a rigid structure having at least twosubstantially vertical faces and at least three additional facesincluding a bottom face, a rear face and an upper face, the combinationforming a closed three dimensional polygon, at least one face having asection of material removed therefrom, creating a hole therein andhaving a hollow tube attached thereto, thereby forming a hollowextension out of the .[.face, and a hollow portion thereby continuouswith the.]. interior of the closed polygon; B. the rear face positionedadjacent to said bottom face and said vertical faces, thereby adjoiningsaid faces; and C. the upper face being pervious to water but not to.Iadd.undesired .Iaddend.debris found in the water, the upper faceadjoined at some acute angle .Iadd.directly .Iaddend.to said bottom face.Iadd.and forming a ramp extending upwardly from the bottom face.Iaddend.and also adjoined with said vertical faces and said rear face,whereby said hollow extension is capable of being received by the.[.downspout.]. .Iadd.outlet .Iaddend.of a .[.gutter.]. .Iadd.drain.Iaddend.system with the .[.(remaining structure).]. closed threedimensional polygon being received .[.by.]. .Iadd.in .Iaddend.the.[.gutter.]. .Iadd.channel.Iaddend., the upper face allowing the waterfrom the .[.gutter.]. .Iadd.channel .Iaddend.to pass into the.[.downspout.]. .Iadd.outlet .Iaddend.without the leaves and other.Iadd.undesired .Iaddend.debris, which are forced up the .[.inclinecreated by.]. .Iadd.ramp formed by .Iaddend.the upper face .[.withrespect to said bottom face,.]. by the flowing water, thus carrying thedebris .[.over.]. .Iadd.to .Iaddend.the sides of the .[.gutter.]..Iadd.channel .Iaddend.and thereby cleaning same, thus preventing thedebris from clogging the .[.downspout.]. .Iadd.outlet.Iaddend..
 2. Thefilter as described in claim 1, further comprising a handle suitable forassisting in the placement and removal of the filter into and out ofsaid .[.gutter.]. .Iadd.channel.Iaddend..
 3. The filter as described inclaim 1, wherein said acute angle is approximately 30 to 45 degrees. 4.The filter as described in claim 1, wherein said upper face is comprisedof an angled portion .Iadd.constituting the ramp .Iaddend.and a flatportion, the flat portion being substantially parallel to said bottomface and attached to said rear face and the angled portion attached tothe front of said bottom face and creating an acute angle therewith. 5.The filter as described in claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., wherein saidacute angle is approximately 30 to 45 degrees.
 6. The filter asdescribed in claim 1, wherein the .[.shape of said.]. hollow extensionis cylindrical in shape.
 7. The filter as described in claim 1, whereinthe .[.shape of said.]. hollow extension is oval in shape.
 8. The filteras described in claim 1, wherein said upper face is comprised of anangled portion .Iadd.constituting the ramp.Iaddend., a rear edge ofwhich is attached to said rear face and a front edge of .[.the angledportion.]. .Iadd.which .Iaddend.is .Iadd.directly .Iaddend.attached tothe front .Iadd.edges .Iaddend.of said bottom face, thereby creating anacute angle therewith.
 9. The filter as described in claim 1, whereinsaid upper face .[.is comprised of a mesh material which.]. providesopenings .[.of approximately 0.25 inches by 0.25 inches.]. substantiallyevenly distributed over said upper face.
 10. The filter as described inclaim 9, wherein said .[.mesh material.]. .Iadd.upper face .Iaddend.iscomprised of .[.galvanized steel.]. .Iadd.spaced .Iaddend.wire.Iadd.elements providing said openings therebetween.Iaddend..
 11. Thefilter as described in claim 9, wherein said .Iadd.upper face is a.Iaddend.mesh material .[.is.]. comprised of a plastic material.
 12. A.[.gutter.]. filter .Iadd.for a drain system in which water and debrisincluding leaves move along a passageway toward an outlet,.Iaddend.comprising:A. a rigid structure having at least twosubstantially vertical faces and at least three additional facesincluding a bottom face, a rear face and an upper face, all of the facesbeing pervious to water but not to .Iadd.undesired .Iaddend.debris foundin the water, the combination forming a closed three dimensionalpolygon, at least one face having a section of material removedtherefrom, creating a hole therein and having a hollow tube attachedthereto, thereby forming a hollow extension out of the face, and .[.ahollow portion thereby being continuous.]. .Iadd.being in communication.Iaddend.with the interior of the closed polygon; B. the rear facepositioned adjacent to said bottom face and said vertical faces, therebyadjoining said faces; and C. the upper face adjoined at some acute angleto said bottom face and also adjoined with said vertical faces and saidrear face, whereby said hollow extension is capable of being received bythe .[.downspout.]. .Iadd.outlet .Iaddend.of a .[.gutter.]. .Iadd.drain.Iaddend.system with the closed three dimensional polygon being receivedby the .[.gutter.]. .Iadd.passageway.Iaddend., the upper face andadjoining faces allowing the water from the gutter to pass into the.[.downspout.]. .Iadd.outlet .Iaddend.without the leaves and other.Iadd.undesired .Iaddend.debris, which are forced up the incline createdby the upper face with respect to said bottom face, by the flowingwater, thus carrying the debris .[.over.]. .Iadd.to .Iaddend.the sidesof the .[.gutter.]. .Iadd.passageway .Iaddend.and cleaning same, thuspreventing the debris from clogging the .[.downspout.]..Iadd.outlet.Iaddend.. .[.13. The filter as described in claim 12,further comprising a handle suitable for assisting in the placement andremoval of the filter into and out of said gutter..].14. The filter asdescribed in claim 12, wherein said acute angle is approximately 30 to45 degrees.
 15. The filter as described in claim 12, wherein said upperface is comprised of an angled portion and a flat portion, the flatportion being substantially parallel to said bottom face and attached tosaid rear face and the angled portion attached to the front of saidbottom face and creating an acute angle therewith. .[.16. The filter asdescribed in claim 15, wherein said acute angle is approximately 45degrees..]..[.17. The filter as described in claim 12, wherein the shapeof said hollow extension is cylindrical in shape..]..[. . The filter asdescribed in claim 12, wherein the shape of said hollow extension isoval in shape..]..[.19. The filter as described in claim 12, whereinsaid upper face is comprised of an angled portion, a rear edge of whichis attached to said rear face and a front edge of the angled portion isattached to the front of said bottom face, thereby creating an acuteangle therewith..].20. The filter as described in claim .[.12.]..Iadd.1.Iaddend., wherein .Iadd.all of .Iaddend.said faces are comprisedof a mesh material which provides openings of approximately 0.25 inchesby 0.25 inches, substantially evenly distributed over said faces. .[.21.The filter as described in claim 20, wherein said mesh material iscomprised of galvanized steel wire..].22. The filter as described inclaim 20, wherein said mesh material is comprised of a plastic material..Iadd. . A filter for a drainage system having a channel providing abottom surface along which water and debris move toward an outlet,comprising:A. a water-pervious three-dimensional structure having top,bottom and rear faces and a pair of side faces, said top face being aninlet face, and at least one of said bottom, rear and side faces beingan outlet face, the outlet face being porous, the top face being porousto water but not to undesired debris so that water can pass therethroughand enter the structure but undesired debris cannot, said top facejoining the bottom face at an acute angle defining a lower front cornerof the structure and creating a ramp leading up from the corner alongthe top face, B. said structure having a channel positioning memberextending therefrom capable of positioning the structure in the channelof a drain system with the outlet face in fluid communication with theoutlet from the channel, with the bottom face lying on the bottomsurface of the channel, with the front corner meeting the bottom surfaceof the channel, and with the top face forming an obtuse angle with saidbottom surface, whereby water flowing in the channel flows through thetop face into the structure but debris in the water strikes the top faceand is forced upwardly along the ramp and off the top face to clear thesame..Iaddend..Iadd.24. The filter of claim 23, wherein the channelpositioning member is on the bottom face..Iaddend..Iadd.25. The filterof claim 23, wherein the channel positioning member is on the rearface..Iaddend..Iadd.26. The filter of claim 23, wherein the channelpositioning member is a hollow tube projecting from the outletface..Iaddend..Iadd.27. The filter of claim 23, wherein the channel is agutter, wherein the outlet leads into a downspout, and wherein thechannel positioning member is a tube on the bottom face extendable intothe downspout..Iaddend..Iadd.28. The filter of claim 23, wherein thechannel is a ditch, the outlet leads into a culvert, and the positioningmeans is a tube on the rear face extendible into theculvert..Iaddend..Iadd.29. A drain filtering device for use in adrainage system wherein water and debris are channeled toward an outletcomprising:a three-dimensional, multi-faced structure having a top, abottom, opposite sides, a front and a rear, said structure also having aplurality of faces, one of which is a top inlet face porous to water butnot to undesired debris that could clog an outlet from the drainagesystem, and another of which is an outlet face porous to water, saidstructure having an internal passageway that allows water entering thetop face to pass therethrough to the outlet face, said top face beingdirectly connected at some acute angle to the bottom of the structureand forming a ramp leading directly upwardly and rearwardly from thebottom of the structure; and a locating member projecting from thestructure adapted to position the structure in the drain system so thatthe top face can intercept water and debris flowing in the drain system,so that water can enter the structure through the inlet face and exitthe structure through the outlet face into the outlet, and so thatundesired debris in the water will be forced against the top face andthence upwardly therealong by following debris washed thereagainst bythe flowing water..Iaddend..Iadd.30. The filtering device of claim 29,wherein the locating member extends outwardly from the outlet face forextension into the outlet of the drain system..Iaddend..Iadd.31. Thefiltering device of claim 30, wherein the locating member is a conduitfor conducting water into the outlet..Iaddend..Iadd.32. The filteringdevice of claim 29, wherein the structure is a cage-likestructure..Iaddend..Iadd.33. The filtering device of claim 32, whereinsaid structure is made of elongated, transversely spacedelements..Iaddend..Iadd.34. The filtering device of claim 33, whereinthe elements are wire..Iaddend..Iadd.35. The filtering device of claim32, wherein said structure is made of sheet material having openingstherein..Iaddend..Iadd.36. The filtering device of claim 35, wherein thesheet material is plastic..Iaddend..Iadd.37. A filter for a drain systemin which water and debris including leaves move along a passagewaytoward an outlet, comprising:A. a rigid structure having at least twosubstantially vertical faces and at least three additional facesincluding a bottom face, a rear face and a top face, all of the facesbeing pervious to water but not to undesired debris found in the water,the combination forming a closed three dimensional polygon, at least oneface having a hole therein and having a hollow tube attached thereto incommunication with the interior of the closed polygon, B. the rear facepositioned adjacent to said bottom face and said vertical faces, therebyadjoining said faces, and C. the top face adjoined at some acute angleto said bottom face and also adjoined with said vertical faces and saidrear face..Iaddend..Iadd.38. A filter for a drain system in which waterand debris including leaves move along a passageway toward an outlet,comprising: A. a rigid cage-like structure having at least two sidefaces and at least three additional faces including a bottom face, arear face and a top face, all of the faces being pervious to water butnot to undesired debris found in the water, the combination forming saidstructure, at least one face having a hole therein and having a hollowtube attached to the face over the hole and thereby being incommunication with the interior of the structure, B. the rear facepositioned adjacent to said bottom face and said side faces, therebyadjoining said faces, and C. the top face adjoined at some acute angleto said bottom face and also adjoined with said side faces and said rearface..Iaddend..Iadd.39. A drain filtering device for use in a drainsystem in which water and debris flow along a passageway toward anoutlet, comprising:a porous multi-sided structure having a hollowinterior defined by bottom, top, side and rear faces, the bottom facehaving front and rear edges, the top face being water-pervious andhaving a lower front edge and opposite side edges, being directly joinedat its lower front edge to the front edge of the bottom face, andextending angularly upwardly from the bottom face at an acute angle andforming a ramp that starts at the juncture of the lower front edge andthe front edge and inclines upwardly therefrom, the side faces beingrespectively joined to the side edges of the top face and extendingdownwardly therefrom, the rear face being joined to the rear edge of thebottom face and extending upwardly therefrom, the top face being aninlet into the structure and one of the bottom, side, and rear facesbeing an outlet from the interior of the structure; and a positioningmember extending outwardly from the structure and adapted to positionthe structure in the passageway of a drain system so that the structureis in the path of water and debris flowing in the passageway with thebottom face on the bottom of the passageway and with the top face in aposition to intercept the flowing water and debris, whereby the waterand debris contact the ramp of the top face and the debris is pushedupwardly along the ramp by the water and the water passes through thetop face, enters the interior of the structure and exits the interior ofthe structure through the outlet face and thence into the outlet of thedrain system..Iaddend..Iadd.40. The filtering device of claim 39,whereinsaid angle is from about 30 degrees to about 45degrees..Iaddend..Iadd.41. A drain filtering device comprising: a filterbody having opposite sides, a bottom, a front, and a rear, the bodyhaving a size and a shape that allows it to be positioned in a drainagechannel that contains a stream of flowing water and debris so that thefront of the body is positioned upstream of the rear of the bodyrelative to the direction of flow of the water and the debris so thatthe flowing water and debris initially engage the front of the body,said filter body having a water inlet at the front and a water outletspaced from the inlet, said filter body also allowing water entering thebody through the inlet to pass to and out of the body through theoutlet, and the front of the body being a water-pervious ramp extendingdirectly upwardly at some acute angle from the bottom thereby tointercept the flowing water and debris and cause the debris to bediverted outwardly of the flowing stream of water which is allowed toenter the body through the inlet whereby the debris is separated fromthe water and is prevented from clogging the channel..Iaddend.